ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar on Monday clarified that tax was regularly being deducted from the salaries of all parliamentarians of National Assembly, Senate and all four provincial assemblies.
Speaking in the Senate, the ministers said the impression that parliamentarians were not paying tax was totally incorrect and ill conceived.
“There is misunderstanding and an unnecessary debate is going on as to whether parliamentarians themselves pay their taxes,” he said.
He said this issue had also been discussed in the Public Account Committee. There were around 12 per cent parliamentarians who have not yet taken their National Tax Number (NTN), the minister said.
Ishaq Dar said the FBR was directed to issue NTN numbers to all parliamentarians by January 31 to avoid such misconception in future.
He said it was also decided to show all tax details till 31 January deducted from the parliamentarians salaries by February 15.
He said in the first phase tax details of parliamentarians would be made public and in the next phase tax details of all tax payers would be published within two months.
Leader of the Opposition Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan appreciated the finance minister for clarifying the misconception about the issue.